Tiger Reborn
by Koeigirl
Summary: Sun Shang Xiang has mysteriously returned after a battle against Wei two years ago. Strange things are happening around her. Will the heroes of Wu solve the mystery troubling the Wu princess?
1. Unlikely Death

Chapter 1: Death

No need for a disclaimer, it's just so obvious.

Xiao Qiao put her left hand on Shang Xiang's forehead and tested for temperature.

"…this isn't looking too good…Your temperature is really low…" she whispered, picking up a wet towel and cleansing the Wu princess' face with it.

The Wu army was ambushed by Wei, and being unprepared, the struggle ended in defeat and Wu was forced to flee to Qing Long Mountains to set up temporary camp there. During the escape, a peasant family was left behind and Shang Xiang went back to find them. Yes, she succeeded in rescuing the innocent ones, but on the way back, she was attacked by Xiahou Yuan's archer unit. She was injured badly in the attack but little did she know that the Wei general, Cao Pi had something else up his sleeve; poison arrows. One of them struck her by the left shoulder while she was carrying a young boy out of danger. By the time she made it back to the camp, the poison had already spread throughout her body.

"How much time…do I have…before I die…?" Shang murmured weakly to her elder brother, Sun Ce.

Ce slammed a table with his fists with a frown and answered, "Don't say things like that! You're not going to die!"

With a growl, he swore that Wei would fall by his hands one day. "GAH! I can't believe he would do such a thing!" His booming voice was loud enough to cause the other generals to jump.

"Now, now my Lord. We don't want to get too mad now don't we?" suggested Taishi Ci, trying to calm him down. "We've had enough trouble with Wei for now."

With an exasperated sigh, Ce strolled out of the tent and towards a random direction. He avoided contact with everyone he passed by, still fuming about what the bastards had done to his sister. Back at the tent, Shang Xiang's condition wasn't looking any better. Lu Xun was searching for a cure to the poison in his many collection of medical books. Ling Tong and Gan Ning were assisting as well despite Ning's hatred of studying. So far, they hadn't got a single hint of luck and were starting to wonder if Shang had a chance.

"What should we do…? Our kingdom can't afford to lose another royal blood." the Wu strategist, Zhou Yu started, shuffling through a messy floor. "We've already lost Lord Sun Jian and Sun Quan in battle…now this!" He was starting to sound like Sun Ce.

Shang coughed out blood and choked out, "Why…would you guys even…bother...? I'm…better off dead anyways…"

Silence filled the room for a moment. 'Because you're our friend...' Taishi Ci replied rather gently.

"We generals gotta stick together y'know?" Gan Ning said proudly, dropping a pile of heavy books on Ling Tong.

"We all care about each other. Isn't that right?" Tong added, tossing a scroll at Ning, causing the pirate boy to pout with arms crossed.

Soon, Da Qiao stepped in with a handful of bandages and a pot of herbal tea. She laid the tea on the table for Huang Gai and Zhou Tai and knelt beside the injured Shang Xiang. She wrapped her wounds with the bandages she brought. "How are you feeling?" Shang didn't answer as she was now too weak to move or even say a word. "Rest, and don't move too much..."Da continued, gently cutting a bandage for Shang's wounds.

"Aaagh!" Shang Xiang suddenly screamed as she felt a sharp pain shoot through her body. She started crying, Xiao Qiao put a wet towel on Shang's forehead, trying to soothe her.

"Not now!"

Shang started to feel numb all over. Her eyelids felt heavy and were nearly closing. She couldn't stay awake any longer.

"Shang, stay awake! Stay awake!' Xun started shouting, trying to call out to his dying friend.

Just on time, Ce rushed into the tent to see what all the commotion was about. He quickly rushed to his sister's side with tears already streaming down his cheeks. "NO! Not now!"

Shang couldn't feel anything anymore. She started to feel so sleepy, so tired. She struggled to stay alive for a few more moments as she noticed Ce trying to say something to her. "If you die Shang, you'll abandon me just like father…and brother did...Please don't do this…"

She started shedding tears. Shang raised her hand weakly, reaching out for her big brother's. "…sorry...failed...protect...kingdom…"

Da hushed to Shang, weeping softly."...That doesn't matter...you took good care of us, and that's protective enough."

With a smile, Shang Xiang let out her last breath and drifted off to an eternal slumber...


	2. Ambush

Chapter 2: Ambush

2 years after Lady Sun's death, the Wu army managed to reclaim their land and castle after defeating Cao Cao in He Fei.

"No, no, no, no!" Lu Xun screamed, running away from Xiao Qiao who was holding up a pink dress in her hands.

'Come on Xunie! I just need to check the size!' Lu Xun jumped over the small fence by the flower garden, avoiding Xiao as much as he could. "Go away!" he screamed, climbing up a cherry blossom tree. "Xun, get down here and just try the dress for a sec.!" Sooner or later, Lu Xun would have to give up! He was running out of breath, but the hyper-active Xiao Qiao still had lots of energy to spare.

"NEVER!" was Xun's panicked answer. He jumped off the tree and ran towards Huang Gai for cover. Unfortunately, the old man moved away as quick as he could, leaving the boy defenseless from the mad Xiao Qiao. The chase continued for a several more minutes until Sun Ce entered the garden and saw what was happening. He went to sit next to his sworn brother, Zhou Yu and asked, "What's up with those two?"

"Xiao made a new dress for Da and she wants Lu Xun to try it on for a while." Yu chuckled.

'Why?'

"Xun is the same size as Da, so he'll be a perfect test model." The two of them started laughing as Xiao got Lu Xun cornered by the pond.

"Please? Pretty please Xunie? Just for a little while?" Xiao begged, putting on her best puppy eyes. After a few seconds of thinking, Xun finally gave up.

"This...is...embarrassing..."Lu Xun mumbled after he put on- or rather, was forced to put on the dress.

Taishi Ci, Lu Meng and Ling Tong burst out in laughter. The boy blushed, hiding his face with his hands. He felt like reconsidering putting on the silly dress. His reputation was tarnished by embarrassment.

"This isn't funny!" Xun scolded, pointing his knuckles at the three laughing generals. Xiao did some checking on the dress as Lu Xun served as a model for a while. She cut out every loose end on the dress, made sure that it was comfy and that it was spotless clean.

"Okay Xunie, you can take it off now!" Xiao said in her usual, cheery voice. While grumbling, Xun took off the pink dress and handed it to Xiao, still glaring at the three who laughed at him.

Ling Tong slapped Xun on the back and joked, "Looks like we have another princess in the castle!" They started laughing again. Xun slapped Tong's arm and mumbled, "Very funny Mr. Sarcastic!"

"Ooh, Da would love this new dress!" Xiao said happily. Then, her smile vanished. "By the way…has anyone seen her?"

The laughter stopped as the other generals thought about the question. They looked at Ce, hoping for an answer. Ce shrugged and said "Don't look at me! I may be her husband, but I don't know where she's been."

KABOOM!

A sudden noise of explosives went off and surprised the other generals. "Ambush!" a soldier alarmed them, making sure that everyone heard the warning. Smoke rose from the top of the castle towers and panicked shouts of Wu soldiers could be heard. Sun Ce immediately knew that Wei was the one attacking. "Gan Ning, get the cavaliers! Lu Xun, get the men prepared for defense!"

The generals scattered like ants and darted to battle. Halfway out of the garden, Ce, Taishi Ci and Lu Meng were caught off guard by an ambush unit. "This happens all the time!" Ce grumbled, swinging his tonfas wildly at an opponent. Taishi Ci was defenseless as he left his rods back in his room. He fought back, unarmed, with his skills in martial arts.

_'Big brother…' _a voice rang in Ce's mind. It was such a familiar voice. Taishi Ci called out to the Little Conqueror, reminding him that they were ambushed. "Focus! We're under attacked here!" Lu Meng shouted, striking a Wei soldier with the back of his halberd.

_Ci…it's so lonely here…_

Taishi Ci then lost focus as the same voice that bothered Sun Ce rang in his mind. "What-"

A group of Wei soldiers attacked Ci and pinned him down before he even realized. Soon, Xiao Qiao came to the rescue, which ended in failure as she felt someone tipping her over and leaving her hanging upside-down.

"This is no way to treat a lady!" Xiao growled at the Wei general, Zhang Liao who was holding Xiao upside-down from her legs. "Don't be so reckless little one," Zhang Liao chuckled, proud of himself for his oh-so amazing strength. Xiao crossed her arms as her long, light-brown hair touched the ground.

Ce was still fighting off the remaining Wei soldiers with all the strength he had left. "Why won't you leave my kingdom alone!" he yelled in fury, smacking two soldier's head against each other. He let out a wild battle cry as he charged towards a figure who seemed to be the commander. Or that was what he thought. He jumped on top of the figure and started bashing his tonfas on the person's head.

"Ow! Lord Sun Ce! I'm on your side!" a familiar voice came from the person that was attacked.

Ce got off the innocent and apologized. The figure dropped his hood and revealed himself as the Shu general, Zhao Yun. "No rough housing with the dragon, please!" He dusted the 'Sun Ce cooties' off his armor and glared at him.

"Glad you're on my side, Zilong (Zhao Yun's style name)."Ce sighed in relief. "We're in serious trouble here!"

"I'm not here just for that, I also have a message…from your sister."

Ce's mouth was dangling wide open when he heard those words. "…sister? You don't mean…Shang Xiang…do you?" Zhao Yun only nodded in reply. "Impossible…"

Wei officer, Cao Xiu and his men surrounded Sun Ce and Zhao Yun. "Men, capture them and force them back to the castle! Take whatever measures necessary!" he ordered. The soldiers did as he said and tried to get close to the two of them. Zhao Yun cut down several opponents with his spear and rushed towards Cao Xiu. Sun Ce, while fighting a group of Wei soldiers, was enjoying the 'show' that Zhao was pulling off.

"You're going down, pal!" Zhao clashed with Cao Xiu and pushed with all his might. Cao Xiu refused to give up, so he forced Zhao Yun back with his strength but he was quickly overcome by him. Zhao let out a laugh and taunted him "Is that he best you can do? The might of a dragon is greater than a phoenix!"

"We have no choice, fall back!" Cao Xiu ordered. His men gathered and immediately ran back to their allies like cowards.

Zhao and Ce shared a laugh as they watched their enemies falling back cowardly. "Oooh, it's the great Wei army! Now I'm scared! Yeah right!" Ce choked out sarcastically. The two of them stopped laughing as they felt an eerie presence behind them. They also felt a heavy series of breathing pattenrs which could only belong to one person…

"Oh." Zhao murmured, guessing that behind them was the brute Wei general, Dian Wei.

"So you think we're cowards, huh?" Dian Wei growled, cracking his huge, muscular knuckles. The two Wu and Shu officers gulped and fled for their lives, a mad bull now chasing them like a...well, mad bull.

-Back at the Wei camp…-

Xiao Qiao, Lu Xun, Lu Meng and Taishi Ci were left hanging upside-down from a tree as prisoners, hung by fairly-strong ropes.

"Ugh, my blood is rushing to my head…" Ci complained, feeling a severe headache from hanging so long.

"Oh, you think you're the only one?" Meng grumbled, his face turning red with all the blood running through his head as well.

"Compared to wearing Da's dress, this is worse…" Xun added.

"Well, well, well…" Cao Pi's voice came from beneath them. "What are you generals up to?"

"Just hanging around." Xiao said sarcastically, trying to sound like Ling Tong.

"Heheh…" the Wei general laughed softly with an evil grin, walking away from the hanging officers. Xiao stuck her tongue out, mocking Cao Pi with her childish behavior. "Quit it, Xiao." Xun grumbled, shaking his rope.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to get free…" Xun kept on struggling to reach a knife he had dropped on the ground. He was sweating from all the moving and his blood pressure was all going to his head. "…lousy short arm of mine…"

After several more tries, Xun finally got his hands on the knife with the help of Xiao's hairclip. He cut the ropes that binded his legs and regret having done that. He fell head-first onto the ground beneath him, knocking himself out-cold.

"Wow, what a 'great' strategist…" Ci mumbled, crossing his arms.

Suddenly, they all heard calls for help from a distance. They realized it was Sun Ce and Zhao Yun, still being chased by the mad Dian Wei.

"Doesn't he ever get tired!" Zhao asked his fellow runner, cart-wheeling out of Dian Wei's attack. He blocked off Wei's kick with his spear and ran off again. "Don't talk! Just fight or you're toast Dragon!" Ce shouted in reply, as he was almost miles away from Zhao Yun and their chaser.

"Lord Sun Ce! You coward! Get over here and help me out!"

The situation began from bad to worse as Ce was finally captured by Xiahou Dun. "Hey, hey, hey! Lemme go you one-eyed freak!"

Dun tied Ce along with the other four in the tree. Ce stared at Lu Meng and asked, "Whoa, what are you guys doing here?"

Xiao sighed and repeated, "Just…hanging around."

"And what happened to Xun?"

"Knocked himself out.

They watched as Zhao Yun fought off both Xiahou Dun and Dian Wei alone. Taishi Ci then remembered what he heard in his mind before. "Ce," he whispered. "While in battle, I heard a voice …in my head…" The Little Conqueror's expression perked up as he remembered the small incident as well.

"I'm not sure why…but it reminds me a lot about Lady Sun Shang Xiang…"Ce showed a blank expression as he tried to forget Wei and think about what was going on.


	3. Alive

Chapter 3: Alive

Xiao Qiao struggled to pull herself up to the ropes and nibbled her way out with her surprisingly strong teeth. Slowly, the ropes loosened up and released her. Unlike Lu Xun, she landed on her back. She let out a small yelp, trying not to give herself away. Zhao Yun was getting exhausted from the fight and was at the point of giving up. Another thing was that Sun Ce was bothering him, asking questions about his sister's message. While Xiahou Dun and Dian Wei were distracted, Xiao snuck towards Lu Xun who was still knocked out, and took the knife from his hand. She then snuck back to the other three and set them free. Lu Meng took grab of his halberd and went to aid Zhao Yun. Taishi Ci looked around for a weapon. How could he have left his rods behind?

A loud gong from a near distance sounded. Soldiers started gathering in the area where the 'good guys' were and surrounded them once more.

"I really hate these guys." Ce growled, feeling like he was at the merge of defeat. "Don't try to resist any longer. You know the land will belong to Wei."

Lu Xun soon regained consciousness and realized that his friends were in trouble. He picked up his sabers and started thinking of a plan…

Cao Pi was given report that their prisoners were trying to escape. With a sigh, he grumbled, "Why don't they see that the land rightfully belongs to us?"

Still grumbling, the prince picked up his twin swords and headed to the resisting Wu officers. On the way there, Pi felt another presence around him. He kept his guard tight, knowing that another enemy was near. When he reached his destination, he glared evily at the five of them.

"Trying to play funny, are you?" he growled, frowning in the process. "Well then, I don't see any point in letting you live…"

He snapped his fingers, signaling Dian Wei to execute Taishi Ci. Ci gulped, not wanting his life to end now, at least not like this. Xiao Qiao thought fast and shouted at Dian Wei, "Hey big, bald meanie! Pick on me instead!"

"Don't bother me you midget!"

"You're just chicken! You can't beat a little girl!" Dian Wei, angered by the taunt, stomped towards Xiao and raised his axe.

"DIE!"

The little Qiao moved quickly and kicked the brute right in between the legs, causing the man to fall on his knees in pain. Cao Pi and the other generals flinched as they could relate to that pain, and they stepped back from Xiao, not wanting to risk their manhood. Xiao Qiao laughed happily and helped the others out. They fled all the way back to the castle, forgetting that they left 'someone' behind…

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the young strategist. Left behind aren't you?" Xu Huang said, holding onto Lu Xun by the hair.

"Hey! Not the hair you big oaf!"

"Nice move you did back there…" Ce choked out, gasping for breath after the long run. "Who knew you had it in you?"

"Heh, it was no problem!" Xiao answered. Silence filled the air as she thought of what to say next.

Ce swallowed and stared at Zhao Yun…

"Zilong, the message?"

"Oh, yes. She said 'Return to Qing Long Mountains'."

Everybody froze at the moment when the destination's name was heard. "The place where she died?" Ling Tong's voice came across the small group. He entered the area with messy hair and slightly tattered clothes.

"I can't believe she's alive!" Gan Ning came up behind Tong after several moments. He had small cuts and bruises all over his body and he seemed like that he could really use a doctor.

"Why'd you guys leave us here!" he scolded, throwing a stick toward Lu Meng.

"We didn't! We were…kidnapped."

"Right…"

"Where's Huang Gai?"

Ling Tong thought for a moment…then answered," The throne room."

"…Lu Xun?"

Silence once more…"Oh curses, we must have left him behind!" Meng panicked at the thought of his missing student. Sun Ce facepalmed and added, "Great, now EVERYONE knows we have an 'amazing' strategist."

At Qing Long Mountains….

A stranger, dressed in a full-black coat stepped up to a young girl and started," You will only have four days…unite the land under one kingdom and I shall give you your full life back." The girl nodded, bowing as she picked up a bow and arrow from a tree.

"Try not to draw too much attention. And never forget, four days… If you fail, then you shall return to the other world, no second chances, child."

"I won't. It's my kingdom, my life."

Sun Ce gathered all the officers and generals of Wu, telling them to prepare for what might happen in Qing Long Mountains. "If Wei plans to ambush us again, I'll kill them all!" Gan Ning shouted proudly, swinging his pirate sword around without a care of accidentally chopping off someone's head.

"Make sure you don't screw up, Ning. Oh yeah, you always do." Ling Tong joked with a not-so-serious voice. The ex-pirate pointed his fist at his friend, as if he wanted to beat him up. Zhou Yu coughed, reminding them about the situation. "Sorry." The two of them mumbled. The strategist crossed his arms and continued what he was doing before.

"Huang Gai… what are you doing with those bombs?" Taishi Ci questioned Huang Gai, who was carrying a bag full of bombs.

"In case Wei attacks again, I'll be glad to blow them to the next dynasty!"

Sun Ce couldn't wait much longer… he was eager to see his sister after two long years alone. "Alright everyone, let's march to Qing Long at once!"

The men of Wu traveled quite a distance all the way to Qing Long Mountains. Their arrival was welcomed by a strange girl…Her face wasn't shown clearly as she was facing the ground. Sun Ce ordered his men to prepare themselves, guessing that it was one of Wei's tricky tactics.

The girl raised her head, now looking at the men of Wu with a rather intense expression.

Sun Ce gasped in surprise and examined the girl clearly. Upon realization, he smiled brightly. "SIS! You're ALIVE!"

Lu Meng raised an eyebrow as he scanned Shang Xiang. Something about her didn't seem right. How would someone who had been dead, be alive? Not to mention that instead of the usual, cheery expression on her face, there was a cold and evil glare.

"Ning..."

"I know. That can't be her..." Gan Ning started, not even waiting for the older to finish his sentence.

Xiao Qiao gave the princess an epic hug, followed by Huang Gai and Ling Tong, who screamed in excitement, "I can't believe it! Two years we thought you were dead, and here you are!" No one except Lu Meng and Gan Ning seemed to realize that something was odd about Lady Sun. Were they completely blind?

Ning stepped up beside Ce and warned him, "My lord, that can't be your sister. Look at her…" Ce half-heartedly looked at his sister once more and finally noticed the evil glare plastered on her face. In fact, it was evil enough for a traitor.

"Shang Xiang, what happened to your eyes?" Tong questioned as he noticed that Shang's iris was blood-red in color.

"Nothing…Just tired." was her heartless response.

"Ah well, who cares? We're together again! Mind as well hang out like we used to!" Huang Gai suggested in a hip voice.

"Four days…" the stranger from before vanished in thin-air after reminding a certain 'someone' of her job.

-Back to the Wei Main Camp-

Lu Xun found himself hanging by a rope again…but this time, he was hung above a cauldron of boiling water.

"Oh, so this is what it's like to be a roasted duck…" Sweat rolled off his face into the cauldron. The heat was starting to get to him. "… wait till' I get back at the others for abandoning me here…" he growled.

"Keep it down there boy!" Dian Wei ordered, sitting down on his guard post. Xun stated to think of another way out of this mess…


	4. My Heart

**Chapter 4: My Heart**

While traveling back to the Wu castle grounds, Shang's expression never changed. She never smiled nor showed any other expression. "You alright, sis?" Sun Ce asked, staring at his oddly different sister. "Perfect" she replied, eyes looking at a far distance. She seemed like as if her mind was elsewhere…far away to be exact.

"That's good to hear, now all we have to do is to find a way to rescue Lu Xun." Huang Gai started.

"Hm?"

"Umm…we sort of…left him behind when we were escaping from Wei…" Gai showed a crooked grin.

"LEFT him behind?"

"Okay! We forgot about him! That's all…"

Ce brought the troops to a stop after hearing a rustling bush. He raised his right arm as a signal to the officers and soldiers. The area fell silent…

"ATTACK!!!"

A large clan of bandits jumped out from the bushes and attacked the troops. Everyone was now hustling around, defending themselves from the infernal thieves. "I was expecting Wei soldiers, not a bunch of losers!" Ning shouted, hitting a bandit in the stomach with the back end of his sword.

"It's better than being hung upside down again!!!" Tong replied to his pirate friend.

"Take out their leader!" Ce ordered.

"Which one!? They all look the same!!!" Taishi Ci was right, they all wore the same yellow outfit and it seemed hard to figure out which one was their leader. Lu Meng started scanning the bandits, holding off as much of them as he could. "Aghh! They're like millions of twins here!" They couldn't seem to tell which was which.

Zhao Yun, while in a brawl, noticed that Shang hadn't made a single move. She just sat there on her mount, glaring emotionlessly at every enemy in the area. "Hey princess, a little help would be appreciated!" he called out, struggling with a whole group of enemies. Huang Gai, fully prepared with his bag of bombs (who knew it could come in handy!) tossed them towards the bandits, blowing them off their ground. Ning noticed Shang's condition and reported to the Little Conqueror at once, "Ce, your sister isn't responding!"

"What? Why?" he replied, smacking two bandit's head against each other. "Never mind that!!! Xiao, do something!"

Obediently, Xiao rushed towards Shang and tried to get a reaction. "Sha-"she stopped her sentence as she noticed her friend aiming an arrow towards one of the bandits. She closed her left eye for good aim and fired…

STAB!

The arrow hit a dark-skinned bandit on the right leg. The injury forced him to fall down and cry out in pain, "Argh! Men, RETREAT!!!" The enemies panicked as they saw their fallen leader. They helped him up and carried him away, retreating back to the bushes. The men of Wu and its generals all stared at Shang Xiang. Ning stepped up to Sun Ce and whispered to his ears, "That can't be her…can it?" Ce shook his head as a 'no' answer. He doubted his sister a little, but in his heart, he knew that was the real her… Zhou Tai let out a 'hmph' and congratulated the princess.

"Well done my lady! It seems your archery skills are as sharp as ever!" The other soldiers cheered in victory along with Ci, Gai and Tai. Xiao and Tong clapped their hands as a round of applause. Still, what remained on the princess's face was an emotionless expression.

-----------------------------

In the Wei main camp… (Once again…)

Lu Xun finally thought of a plan to escape. Well, he didn't think it all up…he ripped off some of Xiao's shin-kicking technique. "Hey, Dian Wei…" he called out to the huge Wei officer. "Mind if I get some water? I'm really thirsty…"

Dian Wei grumbled and picked up a cup of water. "Just one sip!" he growled, handing the cup to Xun.

"Umm…my hands are a bit tied up…"

"Hmph!" As Wei was about to give him the water, Lu Xun kicked him in the shin. Wei started hopping around, his hands holding onto the injured leg. He then tripped on a rock and went K.O after hitting his head on his post. Xun kicked the boiling cauldron, causing it to tip over and spill the water onto the fire. He dragged Wei's heavy axe closer (It was leaning by the tree) with his legs and tried several times to swing it up to the ropes. Although he made a few cuts on his hands, he managed to cut the ropes open as well. He took, umm… stole a horse from the makeshift-stable nearby and took off. He had a smile on his face, proud of his succeeded strategy. He couldn't wait to tell Lu Meng about this! After several miles of travel, he finally spotted a Wu flag. He followed it and found his friends.

"Guys!" he called out.

Sun Ce, after hearing the call, looked behind him and saw Lu Xun. "Hey, Xun! You made it out!"

"Yeah, with no help from you guys."

Everyone else apologized to him and greeted him back. "I'm surprised you made it out alive, Xun!" Lu Meng spoke, patting his student on the back. Gan Ning rode up beside him and added, "Didn't know you had it in ya' buddy!" Xun was about to boast about himself but stopped as he noticed who was riding up in front of him.

"Hey…is that who I think it is?"

"Yep, that's our Shang Xiang! Well…sort of…" Ling Tong answered. Not bothering to listen to his talking, rushed his horse beside Shang. He was happy to see his long-forgotten friend! "Shang! Wow, you're actually alive!?" He was so excited and happy just by seeing her again. Then, his smile faded as Shang glared back at him with her blood-red eyes.

"Whoa…what…?"

"Nothing."

"You look…different…"

"Don't let it bother you."

"Come on, you can tell me. I'm your little buddy remember?"

With a sigh, she lowered her head a little and put a finger on her lips, telling her little friend to not speak of it. Xun nodded innocently. Shang looked around; making sure nobody was paying attention to the conversation.

"I have been given permission to retrieve my full-life, and all I have to do is complete a mission…"

"A mission? What of?"

"To unite the land under one kingdom, namely Wu…I've got four days to finish this job or else I'm heading back to the other world."

"Unite the land in just four days Who the hell came up with that stupid thing?"

"Well, that makes sense!" a different voice sounded from behind the two. They looked back and just realized that Ling Tong and Gan Ning were sneakily listening to the conversation. "You fools!" Shang grumbled, hitting Tong and Ning on the shoulders with a slap. "Say nothing of this!"

They both raised their hands, as if surrendering, and pretended to zip their mouth. "Okay, answer this. What's with the 'new' you?" Tong began a question.

"It is all part of the deal for the rebirth."

"Oh," Ling Tong murmured with a nod. "But then your eyes…"

"End of story." Shang Xiang ended the conversation before any further questions could be asked. After a long night travel, the troops made it back to their capital. "Ah, home sweet home!" Huang Gai exclaimed happily. The soldiers seemed glad to make it home as well. They were completely exhausted from the long walk. "Well?" Zhou Tai said to the princess. "Aren't you glad we're back in one piece?"

"Maybe. Everyone is, why shouldn't I?"

"My lady, you don't look very happy…"

Shang looked away from the others and rode her mount ahead of her brother. "Ce, I've had it!" Xiao grumbled at Ce. "That girl is hiding something! It's probably Wei who forced her to act this way! Who knows, they could have kidnapped my sister and blackmailed Shang into doing their dirty work! In fact, she could betray us anytime!" With a sigh, Ce answered, "Don't say things like that. She would never turn her back on her family and kingdom. And don't worry about Da, we'll get to her eventually." Xiao pouted and strode off on her white horse into the castle.

As she rode by Shang, she stared at her and growled, "I've got my eyes on you…"

Shang just kept the expressionless look plastered on her face and replied, "You should keep your eyes on ahead."

"Huh?" Xiao hit her head on a low tree branch and fell off her mount. "Ouch…" was the only thing she could say at that time. The generals behind them were giggling, trying to hold back their laughter. Some already started laughing out loud.

--------------------

Well, now should be the time I mention Da Qiao, right? Da found herself alone in the dark forest where all trees were tall like giants. No traces of sunlight came through the leaves, leaving the forest engulfed in darkness. The eerie sound of howling winds brought a shiver down the lonely girls' spine as she proceeded the walk. She noticed one tree that had a carving on it. She stood by the tree and took a closer look at the word carved on it. There was a symbol that had a crown carved right on top of it. Da traced the carvings with the tip of her finger and tried to make out the Chinese words below. "The kingdom, the land, shall belong to one." She read. "If she were to fail, the land will be gone…"

Confused, she stepped away from the tree and went on walking, looking for a way out. What she read back there, was none other than Shang's theory. If she failed to unite the land in four days, not only will she return to the other world, the whole land will vanish from the face of history… (How did I come up with this?)…

Eventually, Da found an opening from the forest. She smiled and stepped towards the exit. Suddenly, a man dressed in full, black armor strode by on a red horse. He spotted Da and pulled out a four-sectional halberd. "You must be Da Qiao." he boomed with a rough voice. "I'm here to kill you!" Da Qiao gasped and identified the man as Lu Bu, the mightiest warrior of all in China! She started running, not bothering to look back.

"Why do they always run?" Lu Bu kicked his Red Hare in the sides and chased after Da. "You know you can't outrun my Red Hare!"

"Well I can try!" Da made a sudden turn and rushed towards Bu. In the right timing, she took grab of his left foot, causing him to fall intentionally. "Hahaha!"

Bu got up, a mad-bull frown plastered on his face. "You're asking for it!!!" He chased after Da on foot like a crazy man around the area. The elder Qiao was too fast for him! After several minutes, Gan Ning, Lu Xun and Taishi Ci came to the place while on scout duty. "Hey, is that Da Qiao over there?" Xun questioned, looking at the familiar chap being chased by a black warrior. Ci and Ning tried to look closer and discovered that it WAS her!

"And that's Lu Bu chasing her! We gotta help!" Ning shouted, pulling out is pirate sword. They both charged towards Lu Bu, as if he was a little puppy. Xun just stood in his place. He sighed and began counting. "One, two, three..." the two 'brave warriors' came running back with torn shirt, scratched armor and several cuts on their skin. "Man, I didn't even touch him!" Ci mumbled, gasping for breath. Ning's hair was completely messier than usual. "We need some back up!"

"Already here." a voice rang from behind the three generals. It was Lu Meng, alongside Huang Gai and Zhou Tai. "Right, this time, we charge together!" Altogether, they charged towards Lu Bu and tried to fight him. "For Wu!!!!" They all let out a battle cry.

"One, two-" Xun didn't finish his counting. They were already retreating back to him. "Look what he did to my weapon!" Meng raised his halberd, revealing that it was broken in half.

Huang Gai's face was covered in ashes. Puffs of black smoke flowed out of his mouth as he spoke "He used my own bombs against me."

Zhou Tai's helmet was crushed into a ball and his armor was covered in dust and cuts. Ning and Ci were worse than before!

"We give!"

Shang Xiang and Sun Ce stepped in sooner. "What happened here?" Ce asked, surprised by the image of his generals.

"Your wife is in trouble my lord." Tai answered while throwing his busted helmet into a river nearby. "And we can't seem to help."

"Yikes, no wonder! That's Lu Bu over there!"

Shang showed a calm face and stepped into the 'battlefield'. "Sis, no!!!" Ce shouted with his hands on his head. "She doesn't stand a chance!" Ning added. He followed the princess, prepared to help as much as he can. Lu Bu had Da Qiao trapped like a rat in a corner... Da was kneeling down as if she were begging him. Bu raised his halberds; he swung it for the kill and...

CLANK!!!

His halberds were broken into three pieces! He looked up and was shocked. Instead of the weak and defenseless Da Qiao, he saw Shang, holding up Ning's sword in a defensive stance. Lu Bu thought quickly and took grab of Ning who was standing foolishly right behind him. He pulled out a spare halberd (?) hung on his back and held it by Ning's throat. "Put the weapon down or I'll decapitate your friend!" Shang just stood there, her stance still remaining the same from before. "DROP IT!!!" Bu repeated, tightening the grip around the pirate's hands. Ning struggled to choke out, "Don't! Just get Da out of here!"

Ce took a step towards the fight, but was stopped by Lu Xun. "It's too dangerous." Ce was afraid to just leave his younger and only sibling to fight a great warrior. He really had to help...

A gust of wind blew past Bu. Shang glared at him with her blood-red eyes, slowly sliding her right foot towards a bunch of leaves beside her. In a sudden motion, Shang kicked the leaves up to Lu Bu's face, distracting him and allowing Ning to slip free. Ooh, Lu Bu isn't going to like that... He let out a wild battle cry and attacked Shang with a furious blow. Ning kicked Bu in the arm, forcing him to let go of his halberd.

The Little Conqueror lost his patience and rushed towards the fight. No way could he let his sister take all the glory! Ce made an entrance by side flipping behind Bu and hitting his legs with his tonfas. The fight lasted for three more minutes and Lu Bu finally gave up...

"Alright, I admit defeat! Go on, do with me as you like and kill me!" he growled, smacking his right hand on the back of his neck.

Shang returned the sword to her pirate friend and answered Bu's admission," You can go. But next time we meet, I expect better from you."

"Hmph! I don't need any pity from a foolish girl!" Bu picked up his fine halberd (not the broken one) and strode away on his Red Hare.


	5. Black Birthday

**Chapter 5: Black Birthday**

Everyone was in the dining room having lunch before entering the battlefield once more. Xiao Qiao seemed upset during the whole day. Of course she was upset; everyone forgot that today was her special day, her birthday. She looked at everyone else, they all looked so happy, enjoying their manly celebrations and feasts. How could they forget that today was someone's birthday?

Shang Xiang took a look at Xiao Qiao and flashed her small smile. Xiao blushed as she noticed the princess smiling at her. She stood up, about to leave the room, but stopped as Shang stood in her way. She held an origami flower on her left palm.

"Happy birthday." she whispered. Xiao felt her heart melt as she heard the sweet words she had longed to hear the whole day. "You remembered? Oh...thank you...Everyone else forgot...Even Lord Zhou Yu..."

Shang Xiang carefully placed the paper flower on Xiao's soft hair and looked at her. The little Qiao's face lightened up a bit with a smile. "T-thanks..."

They both gave each other a sisterly hug, glad to be such good friends. Just then, Sun Ce stepped in the dining room and called out to all his generals, "Prepare for battle everyone! Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, this battle may get too dangerous for you... I want you both to stay in the castle." Da nodded, but Xiao had a disappointed expression otherwise.

"But, I wanna come too!" she protested. Ce sighed, knowing that this would happen. "We're fighting Wei here, not a bunch of pixies. Just stay put in the castle and we'll let you go to the next battle."

Shang Xiang looked at her friend, she was about to cry (as usual). She then glared at Ce and suggested, "Let her come with me then. I can protect her on the battlefield."

Gan Ning spat out the wine that he had just drank and choked, "No way! Shang, have you forgotten who Wei is! Bring a little girl to the battlefield and she'll die before you know it!" Ling Tong picked up a cloth and wiped himself, Ning's wine all over his shirt and face. Lu Xun agreed with Ning for once. He added his thoughts, "He's right. We can't bring her to fight against such a large army."

**"See? It's far too dangerous." Ce continued.**

"Oh, so that's how you treat a birthday girl." Shang Xiang finally reminded them. The officers fell silent. Zhou Yu had a piece of noodle hanging from his mouth. How could he have not remembered his own wife's birthday? The others stared at Xiao Qiao...

"We forgot her birthday!" they all shouted, jinxed at the same time.

Ce had no choice; he wanted to be a good ruler after all. He nodded at Shang and Xiao, agreeing that they will be fighting alongside each other during battle. Xiao pumped her fist in the air and cheered happily. When the others left for preparations, Ning, Tong, Xun and Shang were alone in the dining room.

"You're here to unite the land, not be a little girl's bodyguard!" Tong complained, waving his arms around. "Yeah!" Xun rubbed in. "If you expect us to help you with two jobs then forget it!"

As usual, the princess showed them a completely unmoving expression and answered, "Don't worry, I can handle it. Besides, I never even asked for you guys to help." She then left the room.

"Hm, that was strangely nice of her." Ling Tong said, finally getting the wine dried off his shirt.

**"Yeah, maybe she's in there, somewhere." Ning said with a smile.**

As Shang entered the stable, she saw Xiao Qiao staring at her excitedly. She was a little jumpy as well… hopping like a little bunny out in fresh spring season.

"Okay, okay, just get your horse and make sure you stay with me." She grumbled at the birthday girl. Now, Xiao was starting to hop more like a kangaroo. Zhou Yu soon stepped up to the two of them and gave his wife a gentle hug. "Be careful out there. I don't want you getting hurt, alright?"

"I'll be alright!" the girl replied cheerily.

"And…I'm sorry I forgot your birthday, it won't happen again."

The couple kissed and made up, and even though they seemed happy again, there were still traces of sourness in Xiao Qiao's eyes.

"My lady, you be sure to take good care of my wife now."

"I will." As Shang Xiang climbed onto her mount, she gasped as she realized Xiao sitting right behind her. "What the-"

"I'm supposed to stay with you right?"

Shang let out a sigh and just went along with the flow. "Need any help princess?" Ning taunted as he rode by Shang.

"Shut it."

The pirate laughed and left them behind. Before leaving, Yu had a little conversation with Shang.

**"You can give it to her right?" the princess nodded in reply.**

"Good. I'm too afraid that she'll be mad at me for forgetting her special day."

Ce looked back from atop his mount to check on his army. He raised his eyebrow as he saw the birthday girl waving her arms excitedly, causing his sister to lose balance and fall off her own mount.

"Sit still!" she growled, climbing back onto her horse. Xiao Qiao apologized and behaved better...TEMPORARILY. After several moments, Xiao tried to reach out for a flower in a bush nearby and ended up pulling Shang off her horse again. The other generals, especially Ling Tong, Gan Ning and Lu Xun, were beginning to laugh at Shang's pitiful attempt to look after the hyperactive birthday girl. Finally, Shang ended up walking, guiding her mount with Xiao sitting on top.

"I'm really sorry about that." she apologised. Shang responded by waving the back of her hand at her.

Ce stopped his men and told them to attack on his signal. The Wei kingdom was ready for this attack... A whole army of enemy soldiers led by Cao Pi were prepared in the opposite side of the Wu army.

"They outnumber us." Zhuge Jin said to his lord with a little panic, yet trying to keep his cool as a strategist. Sun Ce bit his lower lip and started to doubt this battle. Cao Pi had an evil grin on his face. He seemed quite confident about this...

"So I see the princess still lives?" Xiahou Yuan called out, making sure Shang Xiang heard him.

"I will not die in the hands of a filthy Wei officer." Shang Xiang replied hastily.

Yuan looked at Cao Pi and asked for permission to attack. "Very well. Make it a duel to begin this battle."

Yuan smiled at his lord and led a unit of soldiers and archers towards the Wu army. "This time, I'll kill you off for good you puny powder puff!" he taunted, challenging Shang.

Sun Ce looked at his sister and asked, "How many men do you need? Take them and finish him off." Just when she was about to answer, Xiao Qiao barged in and exclaimed, "I'll take em' all out myself!"

She wanted to prove to everyone that she was one of great skills, and not one who should be so easily forgotten. Like an idiot, she charged to the battlefield, attacking Xiahou Yuan. Zhou Yu's mouth hung wide open as he saw his wife charging through the battlefield like that. Shang Ciang quickly responded to the situation and ran after Xiao. Xiahou Yuan was confused; he had his archers ready for a warrior princess, not for a spoiled brat. Nevertheless, he ordered his men to attack, archers in standby...

Xiao opened her fans and attacked the soldiers in front of her. She was serious when she said she could take them ALL out by herself. She sliced and diced the enemies before Yuans' very eyes. Yuan found an opening and attacked Xiao with the sides of his bow. Before the bow even touched Xiao Qiao, Shang Xiang had already arrived. She protected her, just as she promised Zhou Yu. Xiao was busy killing off some enemies while Shang was occupied with the archer general.

Ning had a worried look on his face; that Cao Pi is up to something for all he knows...Soon, Yuan let out a sharp whistle. The archers raised their bows and fired towards the skies. The arrows then rained down on Xiao. She screamed...and before she could do anything, she felt someone hovering over her. She had not realized that she had fallen onto the ground...as she rolled over and looked up at what was over her, she gasped at the sight of her husband...

**"...Z-Zhou Yu..?"**

Zhou Yu had blood trickling down from his mouth as the arrows pierced through him in multiple places. The rain of arrows then stopped. Yuan stared at the situation, still clashed with Shang Xiang.

"ZHOU YU!" Sun Ce exclaimed roughly. The name of their fallen strategist pierced through the air. They all rushed towards Zhou Yu, Xiao Qiao and Shang Xiang.

"You're...safe now..." he struggled to speak. Xiao felt her heart torn in two ways as she saw a pain-struggling look on Yu's face. It was the most painful thing she had ever seen...Tears started streaming down the couples' face...

"Zhou Yu, why-" Xiao stopped as she felt Yu kissing her lips softly.

"You...promised to be safe...And I will make sure of that..."

Sun Ce slided on his knees and reached beside the two. "Zhou Yu! Zhou Yu! No...don't die on me buddy!" He held his sworn brother's hands in despair.

"Sun Ce...you must live on... and unite the land..." Ce shook his head, trying hard to hold back. Ning stood beside Ce and looked down at his friend. He was sobbing softly. Yu smiled and choked out to his pirate friend, "Be strong...Ning...and take care of the kingdom for me..." Ning was already crying at that time; he smiled and gave Yu a thumbs up as a sign of 'thank you'. Everyone was now weeping for their dying strategist. Yu looked at Shang with tired eyes and smiled at her.

**"Promise..."**

He took another look at his sad wife and sang weakly," Happy Birthday to you...happy birthday to you...happy birthday to Xiao Qiao...happy birthday... to..." His eyes closed, and withing seconds, he left the world in peace, hoping that everyone would do well without him.

Shang Xiang sighed softly and knelt beside Xiao, and put her arms around her, trying to comfort her.

"Zhou Yu..."Xiao Qiao whispered, not bothering to wipe the tears away from her cheeks. Ling Tong glared angrily at the Wei army.

"It's all YOUR FAULT YOU LOUSY WEI BASTARDS!" he shouted with great fury. The other officers all started yelling at the Wei army with words along the lines of 'You don't deserve to live!' and 'We shall avenge Lord Zhou Yu's death by destroying you!"

Sun Ce stood up, giving his sworn brother a small prayer, and pulled out his tonfas. "EVERYONE!" he exlaimed. "FOR OUR FALLEN BROTHER!"

The entire Wu army mobilized and attacked the enemy with the spirit of a tiger. Eventually, the Wei army was being pushed back.

Cao Pi grumbled as he led his men through the retreat, "Tch, this is more difficult than I thought. Retreat for now! We will get even with them another time!"

After a return march back to the Wu castle, everyone, soldiers and generals were enjoying a feast to celebrate their victory against Wei and to also share a moment of appreciation to their lost strategist. Ce got drunk along with Ning and Ci during a little competition. Lu Meng and Lu Xun were pretending to laugh at a joke that made no sense by Da Qiao. The men of Wu enjoyed their night of celebration, not forgetting the tragedy that occurred on the very day. Sun Ce, though drunk, still felt disappointed by the loss of his dear friend, but the least he could do was to show Zhou Yu that he will carry on to lead his kingdom. Actually, they wanted to celebrate Xiao's birthday as well but it seemed she wasn't really in the mood. She just lost her husband after all.

Xiao stood on her own outside on the balcony, looking out at the unlimited stars in the sky. She was so heartbroken that she couldn't really bring herself to enjoy the celebration.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to Xiao Qiao, happy birthday to you."

The young Qiao quickly put on her usual face and turned around to look behind her. It was Shang Xiang; she had a cake on her hands. It looked kind of poorly-made, but at least there was cake, no?

"This is for you." she said gently, handing over the cake to the little Qiao. Xiao tried it with her finger and smiled at the wonderful taste. "You made this?" she asked.

Shang leaned by the balcony and answered, "Zhou Yu did..."

Xiao stopped chewing the cake that was in her mouth and stared at her.

"Before we all left for battle, Yu did some last minute baking and made you a 'special day' cake. He was too afraid to give it to you himself, knowing you'll still be mad at him for forgetting." A tear streamed down the younger girls' cheeks onto the cake as she thought of her husband.

Xiao Qiao finished off the cake in her mouth and put the remaining ones on the ledge. She leaned on the balcony beside Shang and looked back at the night sky.

"Thank you...Zhou Yu.."


	6. What a Day

**Chapter 6: What a Day**

The birds chirped as the sun began rising behind the mountains. Horses were neighing, waiting to be fed by the castle stable masters. It is a fine morning today…All the men and generals were still sound asleep in their beds. However, one of these generals didn't sleep well at all. Xun kept turning and tossing, still upset by the loss of the great Wu strategist. He lay in bed, staring up at his room's gold ceiling. He moaned sleepily and got off his bed, heading towards the window. The breath of an early morning fresh air had always made him feel relaxed. Xun stretched his arms and went to change to his usual clothes. He left his hat on the cupboard, leaving for breakfast without it. Today, he felt that he would live without his hat. (Ha-ha, you should see the D.W 6 Xunie) As he ran downstairs, he went past Ning's room. Knowing him, Ning would try to surprise him, so he snuck past it like a mouse.

When about to reach the kitchen, he saw stopped as he heard voices coming from the training ground. Forget breakfast! He walked towards the training ground outside and saw a strange man (remember the weirdo from Qing Long Mountains? Yeah, that guy) sitting by a cherry-blossom tree. Xun hid behind a pile of swords and tried to get a better look of the man's face. A long scar traced downwards his left cheek. He didn't seem old but Xun guessed he was above the age of thirty. One thing that got Xun's attention was the man's eyes. It was blood-red…just like Shang Xiang's! The man glared at the pile of swords as if he knew that Xun was there! While keeping an eye on the man, Xun laid low, trying to remain hidden well.

The man stood up as another person came up in front of him. Xun moved a little, trying to look at the new arriver's face. It was Shang herself!

"Two days have gone by and you haven't achieved anything! It's best I rid of you now!"

"Please sir, I got a little carried away… Give me more time and I'll finish the job…"

"Four days isn't enough!?" Shang kept silent, facing the ground.

"I…I've missed my family so much…I didn't have the spirit to force them to fight…I've already lost one to tragedy…"

The man sighed and continued, "Very well… I will give you another six days…Use them well!"

Shang bowed at the man, letting him vanish in thin air. When he left, she slammed her fists furiously on the cherry-blossom tree nearby. Pink-shade leaves came falling down from it and landing gently onto the ground. She then left the area, storming through the lobbies angrily. Xun came out from hiding and showed a blank expression on his face. He rushed to the dining room again, this time for real breakfast! Once he reached his destination, Xun found Shang there before him. She had her head buried in her arms, like she was crying. A bowl of unfinished rice was placed in front of her. Seems that she's not in the mood to enjoy a morning meal!

Xun got closer to her, the realizing that his little friend was asleep!

"Sleeping? But it's early in the morning for crying out loud!"

Shang woke up suddenly, surprised by Xun's loud voice.

"Oh, sorry…Did I wake you?"

Gan Ning stepped in with Ling Tong soon. The two of them had their fingers pulling each other's mouth wide open. "Shmiling widely ishn't ash fun ash I thought!" Tong 'shpoke' while opening Ning's mouth with his fingers wider than usual.

"Go on Tong, I inshisht you be happy!"

"No, no, no, allow me to help you shmile!"

They both just don't know when to stop fighting…-.-". When the two saw the princess, they stopped and greeted her with a hand wave…and a sore mouth. She responded by waving gently at them with a little smile. She picked up her bowl of rice and left it back in the kitchen before leaving.

"What's her problem?" Ning asked while taking a seat as a maid served him a meat bun.

On the way out, Shang bumped her head into the door…accidentally. "She seems really tired," Tong added, a bunch of noodles being chewed in his mouth. "How many days has it been since her mission?"

"Two…and two days left before the deal is off…We'd better hurry and find a way to finish this thing…"

Xun corrected their conclusion, "Actually…she now has six days to finish her job." Tong and Ning stared at their young strategist.

"Just now, I saw her talking to some old weirdo and he told her that she has a second chance." Xun continued, not even laying a finger on his food. "He seems to be the so-called 'ancestor' Shang mentioned before…"

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Shang rubbed her eyes, yawning while at it. The princess had no excuse to be this sleepy, she just was. As she reached her room entrance she just stood there quietly…Her hand placed on the golden door knob…

Sun Ce opened his eyes to be greeted by the beautiful morning. He sat up and stretched his arms lazily. Da Qiao was still sound asleep beside him with a smile. "What a great day!" he said to himself. Ce stood up and changed into his usual training garb and exited the room for breakfast. He spotted Shang standing outside her room door (hand still on doorknob). "Morning, sis!" he greeted. No reply… Ce leaned side wards and saw that she was sleeping…while standing!!! He knocked his sister's head like a woodpecker, waking her up.

"Yo, morning sleepy beauty!" he repeated happily. Shang was about to reply but instead, she tripped on a rough surface of the floor and fell.

"…Are you feeling alright?" Ce mumbled worriedly as he helped his sister up.

Shang ignored the question and strolled off into a random direction. Xiao Qiao woke up, her face red from crying for Zhou Yu all night. She hadn't slept well at all…She sat up and remained there for a few seconds. It was quiet today… Usually whenever she wakes up, she would be greeted by her husband but now that he's gone, she felt so lonely. With a sigh, Xiao stepped off her bed and went to change. As she combed her hair, she looked outside the window only to see Lu Meng chasing Ning around with his halberd.

"Get back here you damn pirate!" he scolded, swinging his weapon closer to Ning.

"That's ex-pirate to you!" Ning giggled, leaping out of the way and rushing towards Taishi Ci. Xiao raised an eyebrow as she walked towards the window to see what was going on.

"You'll pay for this you little brat!" the little Qiao had noticed that there was pink make-up all over Meng's face. Including very feminine mascara! Heheh! She put the pieces together and figured out that it was another one of Ning's pranks. He always enjoyed making fun of others. He called it a 'sport' for people who were like him. Once, he switched Ce's warm bath water into cold water! He had a cold for nearly a week! Ning leaped onto Ci's back and kicked his sides as if he was a horse!

"Hey, GET OFF YOU IDIOT!!!" Ci shouted, running around like an untamed stallion with a pirate on its back. Ning seemed to enjoy the ride on his new 'horse'…Xiao giggled softly and turned around, walking back to her mirror. She tied up her hair and went out for breakfast happily. Maybe today wouldn't be such a bad day after all…

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In the dining room, Ling Tong was still enjoying his meal with Huang Gai and Sun Ce. They were chatting about weaponries, battles, and other guy stuff… (Lol, I'm a girl. Why should I know what guys like to talk about?). Xiao was skipping happily along the castle corridors, giggling about what happened just now. She stopped as she spotted Shang leaning by the deep pond.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to greet someone in surprise…"she whispered, sneaking towards her friend. When she got close enough, Xiao noticed that Shang was sleeping (again)! Slowly…slowly…and…

"BOO!" she exclaimed, pushing Shang on the back with her hands.

"Whoaaa!" Shang screamed, falling into the pond. Whoops; that went too far…

Shang swam up the pond and spat out some water that entered her mouth. "What the heck was that for!?"

"Sorry! I thought you'd be surprised!" the careless Qiao apologized, pulling Shang out of the water.

"You call that a surprise?" Shang grumbled, slapping Xiao's left arm softly.

"Hey, kitty cats don't swim! And definitely no rough housing in the castle! Hahaha" Ce laughed at his own joke.

She left the area, stomping her way towards her brother and giving him a good smack on the shoulders. Trails of water dripped from Shang's clothes as she returned to her room to change. She passed by the garden where Xunie was relaxing, enjoying the beautiful scenery. He perked up as he noticed the soaked princess.

"Hey, what happened-"

"Don't ask. Better yet, don't bother." With those words, Xun already figured out that she was in a bad mood.

When she entered her room, she bode to Xun farewell by slamming the door behind her. "Okay…" Xun whispered. Usually Shang would take out her anger by destroying something rather than slamming the door. Most of the time, she would chase other generals around with her weapons for bullying her. Everyone really had fun 'playing' with the little chap…But that old personality is gone. The once warm-happy little girl had turned icy-cold. The generals really missed the good times they had being chased then nearly beaten up by her. Xun sighed and sat up. He waved at Tong and Ning who were strolling by. They waved back and went to join the young strategist in his relaxation.

"Guys, you ever miss the old Shang?"

Ning lazily leaned on a tree and replied, "Yeah. I hardly like being with the 'new' her…I don't get chased around, beaten up or scolded anymore. It's really boring."

Tong nodded, he too felt the same way. "M-hm. Oh, remember the first time she fired an arrow? She struck Lord Sun Jian on the helmet by accident! Hahaha!"

The three of them laughed as they recalled the good memory. The laughter stopped as they heard a door slam open. They turned at the direction of Shang's room, only to see the princess (wearing different clothes of course) holding up a bow and arrow. With a small and sly smile, she shouted, "Yeah, and I've gotten better ever since!"

Xun smile and darted off to a random direction. "Now that's the good old Shang I know!" Ning raised his arms in the air as if saying "Woo-hoo!" And so, the princess chased the three generals around the garden, firing her arrows at them. They seemed to be having lots of fun to be in the good times again.

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"A picnic?" Lu Meng asked when Ce mentioned about a little break.

"Yep! To relax after all those hard works we warriors did! And we'll all be participating!"

"My lord, this is really unexpected…" Zhou Tai murmured, having a sip of tea after the sentence.

"Nonsense! You guys have been working too hard and I think a little break wouldn't hurt! Now, who's coming?" The generals looked at each other for a moment, then smiled at Ce. The little conqueror cheered and stood up. "GREAT! We'll leave for Bai Hu river after breakfast. "

The men of Wu saluted their lord and continued finishing their breakfast.


	7. What a Day 2

**Chapter 6-II: What a Day II**

The journey to their picnic destination wasn't a far one for the Bai Hu River was closest to the Wu palace. Going there on foot would be a complete waste of energy. Lu Xun looked back at Shang Xiang and laughed a little as he recalled the chase back home. Shang glared at him with an evil grin and aimed an arrow to the direction above his head. When she fired, Xun felt a small thump on his head. An apple landed safely onto his saddle as he rubbed his aching head.

"Good one!" Gan Ning joked, pointing at the young strategist. Shang fired another bow and this time, a banana landed on Nings' head. He showed a fist at the princess with a smile, throwing the banana away. "Very funny!" he exclaimed as Xun and Ling Tong laughed back at the ex-pirate. "Hey, I bet you fifty gold pieces you can't shoot that small butterfly…in the wing!" Tong challenged the princess, pointing at a butterfly in the size of a bottle cap near a flower. Lu Xun tried to look closer at the critter but all he saw was a dot from his distance.

"That's impossible, even old man Huang Zhong can't shoot it!" the three boys shared another laughter but stopped as they noticed Shang Xiang aiming an arrow towards the creature. "Whoa, Shang Xiang chill out, I was only kidding. Seriously, you can hardly see the puny thing-"

Xun stopped as he noticed Shang's blood-red iris glow an even eerie red color as she sighted her target. She fired…The three of them watched in surprise as the insect's wings got impaled by the blade of the silver arrow, causing it to get stuck dangling from a tree. "…Um… we were only kidding…" Gan Ning added, surprised by the exact aim. Shang pulled out another arrow from her back and aimed again; her eyes glowed once more as she fired. The arrow hit the other which trapped the creature, setting it free.

"How the heck did you do that?" The Little Conqueror asked as he rode by his sister.

"Practice?" she lied.

"Na ge tai zun le ('That was too perfect' in Chinese)! Don't' lie to me!" Ce scolded back, leaning a bit forward at his sister and giving her the cold stare.

"No really, I practice a lot." the lie continued.

"Well…if you say so…" the elder Sun accepted, seeing that if he continues, it will turn into a fight. He rode off ahead of everyone, still suspicious about his sibling. Shang let out a sigh of relief as her brother didn't continue asking. Lu Xun rode closer to his friend and began the questions and answers.

"No way you could've practiced so little and got THAT good!"

"Xunie, forget it."

Ling Tong and his pirate friend joined the conversation. "This has something to do with that deal of yours, right?"

"No." The princess was beginning to scowl. In attempt to reach the truth, the three generals continued asking her some more questions. The Q and A lasted for two minutes before Xun grinned and went on with his last question, "You're just scared to tell us. Go on, we can keep a secret, we're your pals remember?"

"I don't want to talk about it!"

Suddenly, Xun felt a powerful force push him off his horse. He landed roughly onto the gravel ground and cried in pain. Ning and Tong stared at Shang. She was gasping for breath with her right hand placed on her left shoulder, a frightened expression plastered on her face. Sun Ce stopped the march and went to check on the young strategist. "What happened?" he asked while helping Xun up.

"I just…fell." the young one replied, rubbing his injured leg. Taishi Ci rushed towards his little friend and handed over a bandage as he noticed a serious cut on Xun's ankle. Blood had already stained his pants as it dripped down his skin slowly. Shang Xiang hid her own face by turning away from the others and advancing towards the picnic location herself. She wanted to scream, to run away and never return…she wanted to handle this alone… Soon, the generals of Wu made it to their destination. The sight of the place made them feel even more relaxed as the ocean breeze blew by.

"Alright men, relax and make sure to enjoy yourselves today!" the Little Conqueror shouted with a wide smile. The generals all cheered happily as they set up a small camp and preparing for a whole day of fun. The young strategist sat by the river, cleansing his wound with the fresh water from it. Each time the water touched his injury, he yelped like a poor puppy. Da Qiao came over to him and helped him out with the bleeding. But that made poor Xunie scream even louder. "YEOOOWW!!! Not so hard Da!!!"

Sun Ce got off his horse and left it by a tree to fill its' tummy with the clean and green grass. He watched happily as his men enjoyed their time swimming, sparring and enjoying their day off…Ling Tong glared at Shang suspiciously and walked towards her, hands on his hips. "Alright princess, what's the story?"

"I told you to leave me alone."

"Not until you tell me what's bugging you!" Tong fought back, slapping the princess' left shoulder. He regretted that doing as Shang let out a cry of pain, leaving a tight grip on the just-slapped shoulder with a free hand. "Don't do that!" she scolded.

"I wouldn't have done that if you'd just tell me the rest of your story!"

Even at that rate, the Wu princess refused to cooperate…Ling Tong sighed and stormed away towards his pirate friend. Gan Ning was on a portable-boat he brought along. He just can't leave without one of these babies! Ning rowed his little boat with several Wu officers riding as passengers. They seemed to like the sea life…a little I guess. For hours, Shang Xiang sat alone under a tree by her royal white horse, thinking to herself as she watched the others enjoy themselves. Being alone wasn't what she had in mind for the whole trip but, it's best if she just get out of everyone's way. Unnoticed, unseen, it was a painful feeling…With a sigh, she got up and climbed back onto her mount, bow and arrows hung by the side. She brightened up a little as she recalled that today was another important day. "Hmm… today is…" she whispered as she disappeared along the gravel road that led back to the castle grounds.

Hours flew by as the men of Wu spent their valuable time in fun. The sun was going to set soon…which will be called the 'magic hour' to Sun Ce. The generals gathered in a comfortable spot, making sure that the view was all perfect for all to see. Ce looked around for his sister, but found her nowhere to be seen. Knowing Shang, she would be perfectly fine, so he continued on spending the remaining time with the others. At a certain time, the sun set, a beautiful view that left everyone in awe to admire its beauty. As darkness began to fill the skies, Sun Ce gathered his men to return home. They all rode back a few miles back, chatting about the day they had. The Little Conqueror was proud of himself for treating his men so well. He was so busy admiring himself that he didn't realize that the men have breached the castle gate.

"My lord, the gate's closed…" Zhuge Jin murmured to his leader as he saw the front gate closed. No one seemed to be in the castle as well…it was too quiet. Ce dismounted himself and stepped up towards the gate. He tapped it lightly with his fingers at first, but soon it turned into a loud banging motion. Sun Li ordered some of the other generals to try and ram down the gate, but the only results were scratches on the obstacle.

"Locked out of our own castle…" Xun groaned. "This is so irritating!"

Huang Gai thought about blowing the gate open with some bombs but Ning suggested that it was a bad idea… Taishi Ci tried to listen what was beside the gate but the thing was as thick as two tons of water. Staring at a high, open window nearby, Zhou Tai requested some help to climb in. "We're going to break into our own home? There's something you don't see everyday!" Ling Tong commented as he gave Tai a boost high enough to reach the window. The swordsman forced his body weight up and through the window, infiltrating the Wu castle. He took a scan around the area; just to make sure no enemy were in there. As soon as that was done, he dragged himself into the room, hands on the sheath of his mighty katana. He snuck around, only to find that the whole castle was completely empty. Zhou Tai sighed and continued on to let his allies in from the front gate. As soon as he made it there, someone reached out from behind and captured him…

Meanwhile, outside the Wu castle…

Lu Xun sat by the gate, looking up the orange sky. "What's taking so long?" he groaned, eager to get back home. Sun Ce scratched his head and thought for a moment. "Um, maybe he's just looking for someone else?"

Looking for someone else wasn't the best idea, so Ce shut his mouth and tried to think up another sentence. The several other officers were all tired at the moment. A fun day ruined by being stuck outside their own home! How irritating! Some had already fallen asleep due to boredom and some had already tried their own ways of getting in. The Two Qiaos stood by Lu Xun, looking around for some hope of assistance.

"My lord, I suggest we blow down the gate already!" Huang Gai exclaimed impatiently. The Little Conqueror raised his hand, telling him to wait a while as he stepped closer to the gate. He focused long and hard to try to hear what was on the other side. With some luck, he managed to pick up blur footsteps, tapping on the solid floors as people walked by. Ce frowned and finally gave Gai the chance to bombard their home gate! With a grin, Gai set up all the bombs he had in front of the gate, preparing for detonation. Everyone stayed clear of the area, taking cover behind whatever they could get. Three, two, one…

BOOM!

The gate exploded into bits, tearing down the barrier that came between them! Ce left his mouth hung wide open as he saw the maids, chefs and servants of Wu standing in front of them with…with…A huge set of meals fit for a feast??? The men of Wu all stared, stupefied, at the surprising sight. The maids, chefs and servants all held up a big banner saying, "Happy Wuanniversary to Everyone". They all seemed shocked by the knocked down gate. Zhou Tai had his hands on the gate's post, ready to open it, but it seems the job was already done. Shang Xiang stood in front of the group, holding a large delicious-looking cake in her arms.

"What the hell was that for?" she questioned with a puzzled look on her face. Gan Ning then reminded everyone else, "Oh, we were having so much fun that we forgot today's Wuanniversary!"

Looks like a fine day turned out better after all. The Wuists all continued their day off with the feast Shang Xiang had prepared just for them. They were grateful, that's for sure. Although, one thing bothered Ling Tong, Lu Xun and Gan Ning's mind…This wasn't fully expected from one with no heart nor feelings. Could it be that kindness still existed in the heartless soul? However, they were having too much fun to discuss that now. Ning has already gotten drunk from a strong alcohol…


	8. Spirit of the Tiger

**Chapter 7: Spirit of the Tiger**

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Hiccups were heard from Gan Ning's room as he woke up. Headaches were all coming to his head as he tried to get everything clear. "Whoa..." he mumbled painfully. "I took in more than I thought…"

His legs couldn't help him up, so he decided to stay in bed. After a few moments of silence and lying down face-flat on his bed, he sat up and threw a pillow out of the window. "Shaddap ya' stupid bird!" the pillow scared a noisy night owl away, giving more quiet-time for Ning to SLEEP. Lu Meng was in the castle study, as every strategist would be in. Piles of books were stacked up on his study table. He's been reading about literature, physical studies and many other difficult subjects throughout the night. He wanted to be knowledgeable if there were to be another battle coming up. As knowledgeable as Zhuge Liang if possible…But of course that won't be necessary…

Like always, the Wu princess spent some alone time by the naval dockyard. It was her favorite place to be whenever she had some time to herself…or when she felt down. Looking up at the starry skies, she thought about what her father, Sun Jian, would do in this kind of situation. One thing's for sure, he wouldn't turn and run away. With a sigh, she closed her eyes, thinking of something else. The sound of crickets rubbing their legs came through…a light breeze from the sea added in as well. Everything was peaceful around her, if only she could keep it that way. She knew that her duty would only endanger those she cares about, and losing someone else was already bad enough. She opened her eyes as she heard footsteps behind her. Letting out a sigh of relief, she was glad it's just Da Qiao.

"What're you doing here?" she asked with both hands behind her own back.

"N-nothing…" Shang replied sadly. "I'm just…"

"Down the dumps? I understand." Da continued, stepping up beside her sister-in-law. "Here."

She handed the Wu princess a slice of a cake from the feast. Shang Xiang took it, but didn't lay a finger on it. All that filled the docks were the sounds of crickets, owls hooting and the light, ocean wind blowing past it. "Thanks, Da…I'll eat it later."

With those kind words, Da disappeared back into the palace, joining the long party. Even from such a distance, she could still hear the voices of the men of Wu, shouting with joy as they spent their moments with laughter and fun. Too bad for…nevermind, you readers should know how Shang feels in this. The moon was full tonight…a rather pleasing sight for one celebration of Wuanniversary. She stared at the cake quietly, not feeling the appetite for snacks at the moment. Her focus returned to the moon as the sound of animals fell silent. Gently placing the cake down, she stood up slowly, eyes glowing blood-red as a presence was felt nearby…The wind was now the only sound heard in the area, in addition, the waves rocking the boats left and right. In a sudden motion, a shadowed figure appeared behind Shang, about to strike her but missed as she jumped out of the way. The shadow dragged his body back onto his foot like a zombie, leaving the only thing visible on his face was…blood-red eyes?

He let out a shrill battle cry and raised a blood-drenched sword, swinging it wildly as he ran towards his target. Thinking quickly, Shang took grab of a fan by the barrels and blocked the attack by forcing the sword through it, trapping it in between gaps of the fan. Without hesitation, she twisted the fan, tossing it into the sea along with the nasty sword. The shadow growled and pulled out another weapon from his back…A spear…as black as ashes and as cursed as it looked. "What the-?" Shang mumbled confusingly, taking one step back from her opponent.

(Looks at me) Why'd you leave me weaponless you lousy author!?

(Back to the scene) The enemy shouted with each swing of his weapon towards Shang, taking heavy steps each time he set foot onto the ground. The weapon dug deep into the ground as Shang cart-wheeled out of attacking range and taking grab of a fire-lit pole nearby. The shadow straightened up, leaving the spear stuck. "Uhhhhhhh…" he hissed in a creepy voice…

She charged him head-on, smacking him right on the head with the lit part of the pole. The shadow cried out in pain and stood his place, rubbing his injury recklessly as if he didn't care that it'd bleed. As there was an opening, there was a chance to attack. Shang Xiang swung the pole to try and knock the shadow off his feet but he vanished as soon as it touched him. "Huh?"

He's still around…she could feel it. Then, he reappeared behind Shang, kicking her into Sun Ce's boat. She got up quick enough to dodge the shadow's move. A fishing harpoon was there for the taking, and so she did. Now armed, Shang Xiang waited patiently for another opening, blocking every attack the shadow made. Soon, his weapon was stuck impaling part of a ship cabin. He was silly enough to try and pull it out, which gave another chance for Shang to give him another attack. She aimed and threw the harpoon straight towards the shadow, a direct hit! It went right through his body, but instead of blood pouring out of its body, he vanished into the air and left nothing behind but a black pile of sand. The winner was panting lightly, staring at the sand left by her defeated opponent. "Hmm…" she whispered to herself, thoroughly examining the sand. It seemed to be illuminating a cold, blue glow. An eerie sound of people moaning in pain filled the air. It sounded like there were dead people surrounding her. Without any signs of fear, Shang stood up and looked around. Her instincts told her that something out of reality was about to happen.

"Go…to…hell!!!" the voices of the moans turned into horrifying screams. Ash-covered corpses came running out of the bushes, burning down anything they touched. They were all dressed in old and tattered clothes. One thing that disgusted Shang the most were the sights of flesh that were missing, revealing some old bones underneath. Their rotten-skinned faces showed nothing but hungry, bloody expressions. Shang Xiang didn't wait to see what would happen, she rushed back into the castle to warn the others and get ready for a fight. Too late, panicked cries of the generals, maids and servants filled the air from the dining room. "Damn!" Shang exclaimed in a rather calm tone as she got surrounded by the undead. "Go…to hell!" they repeated, attacking the defenseless princess. She had no choice but to rely on her martial arts skills. She managed to hold off two or three of them but more kept on coming. As she was busy fighting one, another undead came from behind and bit her by the arm. Shang cried out in pain as she wiggled free from the creature's grasp.

"Ah…" she looked at the blood dripping down from her wound. "This is too much…I gotta go help-"

"Ssssimply deliciousss…" the one who bit her hissed. "I must have more of her blood…"

Shang frowned and rushed past the group that blocked her way, barely making it out without a scratch. The bad thing was that they all seemed to be chasing her for dinner! Those undead are faster than they look; some of them managed to keep up with Shang and take a bite out of her. At last, the victim came to a dead end, nowhere else to run. "Finissshhh her off…" the dead ones murmured as they stepped closer to her. The frown on her face turned into a sad-smiling face, Shang Xiang sat down while leaning her back on the dead end's wall.

"So…I'm going to die here, eh?" she whispered.

Closer and closer they came…Shang let the blood flow out of her wounds and onto the ground as she stared up into the skies. The moon was still there to see her, to guide her soul to the other side perhaps. She slowly lowered her head and closed her eyes, thinking of nothing but death. Warm blood splashed onto her face as one of the creatures bit her shoulder; she ignored it as if there was no pain at all…She slowly opened her eyes and glared at the opponent fiercely. "Nice try…now it's my turn…"

The blood all gathered up and formed a mask-like structure on Shang's face. It was the same color as the liquid and only had one perfectly carved eyehole on the left. The mask resembled that of a skull; a black, elegant shading of odd symbols brought out the fierceness of the bearer. The creature that bit her disappeared and left the same black sand the first opponent did. Through the holes of the mask, it can be clearly seen that the princess's eyes were glowing the eerie light she had.

"This is the spirit of the tiger…" she growled. "Bring it on"


	9. The Battlefield Garden part 1

**Chapter 8 : The Battlefield Garden - part1**

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**Author's Message:**

VERY SORRY FOR NOT BEING HERE ON FOR SO LONG!!!! But now that I've finished most of my year's work, I'm more than free to continue with Tiger Reborn! It's been about two years since I last made a story, but I've learned a lot, and I'm gonna try my best to continue!

P.S: Thanks to all who supported and inspired me! (FYI: Keeper of the Fatestones =D )

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The shrill screams of the undead continued to fill the eerie night, but the Wu princess stood her ground in a battle stance and prepared to attack. the entire group of her opponents charged in for the kill, but Shang Xiang was swift enought to avoid every inch of attack they made. She leaped behind them, and while they had their backs turned to her, she swung her left arm, releasing a black wave of energy that sliced helf of the undead to half. The defeated enemies vanished into dust, leaving behind the same black sand as before.

Shang Xiang's eyes widened at the sight of more enemies appearing from the darkness, as if they were ghosts.

"Tch...too many..." she grumbled. And with those words, she turned around and fled to the castle, hoping that there would be allies there to help her out. As she came closer to the castle's back entrance, she stopped and remained paused. The air was still and the surroundings were silent...Too silent..

She looked over her shoulder behind her and noticed that there was no one in sight. Nothing could be seen even past the horizon.

Shang raised an eyebrow and whispered to herself, "They're...gone...?"

After reassuring herself that the area was clear, she tapped a finger on the mask that concealed her face, breaking it into millions of pieces. She then shook off the empty thought and continued on into the castle. Silently walking past corridors, peeking into rooms as she passed by, Shang finally realized that there were no signs of life anywhere.

"Brother!" she called out, hoping for a response. "Da? Xiao? Anyone!?"

The only sounds that reached her ears were echoes of her call and the light gusts of wind blowing past the hollow walkways.

_There should still be people in the dining hall, _she thought. Although the odds were nearly impossible, she knew that the Wuanniversary celebration, seemingly disrupted, could hold any remaining people in the castle. As she ran around a corner, she felt a massive object crash into her, bringing her down to the floor. Regaining her focus, she tried to make out what she collided with.

"Shang Xiang!" a familiar voice rang in the princess's ears. She looked closer and perked up a bit as she saw Lu Xun.

The young strategist gave his friend a big hug, nearly bursting out in tears as he cried, "Thank goodness you're here!"

Shang pushed him back and dusted off the dirt that got onto her dress and asked, "Where are the others?"

"That's what I wanted to tell you!" Lu Xun replied without hesitation. "They're in trouble!"

Not waiting for another second, he led Shang Xiang to the flower garden ((from chapter 2)) and showed her the terrible sight...

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At the Castle of Wei...

The Wei Empress, Zhen Ji, stared out her room balcony into the night skies. It was so peaceful that her mind drifted off to another land, bringing her heart at ease..

Her husband, Cao Pi stepped into the room and was surprised to see her there.

"What're you doing?" he asked in a soft tone that was never heard by anyone else before.

Zhen smiled and was about to reply, but was alarmed by the smell of smoke that began to fill the air. Cao Pi too, had caught the scent in the air and rushed to the balcony to take a view of the surroundings. He could see smoke rising up from a distance. He estimated the smoke's direction and said with surprise, "Wu Castle."

"They're under attack?" Zhen questioned with a confused look on her face.

"Tch...."

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The once beautiful cherry blossom trees in the Wu garden were burnt, some collapsed, and the garden had become a nightmare. Numerous plants and furniture had been massacred and burnt.

"HELP!!!!" a maid screamed as an undead began coming closer to her.

Swiftly, Ling Tong sliced the attacking enemy with a halberd and winked at the maid.

"You're welcome!" he said enthusiastically before turning his attention to Shang Xiang and Lu Xun. "Hey! About time you guys got here!"

"Sun Ce and the others are evacuating the people." he explained as he continously smacked the back end of the halberd onto another opponent, finishing it off with a smooth kick onto it's stomach.

"We have to hold these things off until then!" came a shout from Taishi Ci from a distance, who was defending a chef and servant from a small group of enemies. The garden was no longer a place of relaxation, it had become a battleground..

Lu Xun pulled out his brand-new sword from its sheath and joined his allies in battle. Shang Xiang looked around the battlefield, trying to spot maybe a leader or the source of those undead coming and attacking them. She called out to Huang Gai to give her a boost up to the garden's slighty high tea house roof. The big man carried the Wu princess by the waist, lifting her off the ground.

"H-hey! Wait!" Shang Xiang screamed as she realized that Huang Gai was about to toss her up there.

"HHHHHUUUUUUAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!" Huang Gai exclaimed as he threw her up the roof with great effort, his muscles tightening as he did.

Shang Xiang continued to scream as she flew towards the roof, her scream ending with a faceplant onto it.

"Whoops.... Sorry M'lady!" Huang Gai apologized to the princess and went back to the battle.

With a bleeding forehead, Shang Xiang forced herself up and crawled towards the higher part of the roof. The moon was completely blocked out by the night's heavy clouds, bringing a disadvantage in sight to the warriors. As she reached the highest part of the roof, Shang Xiang glanced down at the battlefield and saw nothing but the struggle. No leader. No source.

"Gan Ning!!!" she called out to her pirate friend to warn him about an enemy behind him. Too late.

One of the creatures bit him on the shoulder. Gan Ning howled in pain and struggled to relieve himself of the pain, violently trying to shake off the creature. Lu Xun rushed to his aid, but was attacked from behind by an enemy as well. the Wu army seemed to be losing as the men engaged in the horrific battle were all pinned down by countless enemies.

Suddenly, the screams of paniced soldiers stopped. Everything fell silent, as if time itself had been frozen...

Shang Xiang could now hear only her heavy breathing and blood from her forehead tapping onto the roof. She looked at the garden's entrance and saw a black figure...

**To be continued.**

((Terribly sorry for this, but I WILL get the continous done ASAP after my exams are over. ^^;))


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